The Gifted

by C. C. Lynch

  I pulled her curls away from her face and then hugged her like I would if Steph was upset. “I’ll do everything I can,” I said while squeezing her tightly, “I promise. And let me know if there is anything you need.”

  Ovolina turned her face towards the door and muttered, “yup.”

  Before leaving I whispered, “there’s an extra bed in my room. Just something to remember in case it gets lonely in here.”

  Seeing Ovolina so upset was heartbreaking and the lack of windows and isolation cast a dour shadow on our already dark moods.

  I had lain next to Vlaine, he wrapped a strong arm around my waist. Steph had her bed just a few feet away. Liz and Draxe were on opposite sides of the room on sleeping pads. Ovolina tiptoed into the room a few minutes later and she rested her head near Steph’s feet.

  Just as I started to drift to sleep I saw Connor slide into the room and lay a blanket down an arm’s length away from Draxe. Miranda and Claire soon followed suit, taking Liz’s side of the room.

  That night we slept, feeling comfort and safety in the presence of our friends and new acquaintances. I slept huddled in Vlaine’s protected grasp, just a few feet away from my best friend, confident that, for just that night, those I loved most were safe.

  6

  Draxe had pieces of paper, envelopes, pencils, and blue exam booklets fanned out on a table. He wrote the number one on seven different pieces of paper then the number two on another seven. He folded them up and placed them in his hat. Next, he handed a pencil and exam booklet to each person and instructed us to write a plan of what our next move should be.

  Our carefully worded strategies were then placed into envelopes and shuffled. We made our selection from his cap and held our papers cupped in our hands, awaiting our instructions. Draxe’s voice was stern as he took on his provisional leadership role. “If you have a number one on your paper, you’re staying here and if you have a number two, then you’re going to Glaston Academy. Go ahead and look at your number.”

  We each peered at the digit in our hands, looking around for clues as to who would join us. In my hand was the number two. As we gazed around the room Draxe added, “two of you have a star next to your name. We’re each going to take an envelope with an idea in it. No one will know who has the star, but the person who does will leave their envelope in a designated area to be opened the day after tomorrow.”

  Frankie crumpled the paper in his hand and looked at Luka. “I have a one but I need to go to Glaston Academy to help you convert the barn into a powerless penitentiary. After that I will return here.” Frankie turned his attention to me. His dark curls were falling into his eyes, but he made no attempt to remove them. Frankie bobbed his head slightly and in his squeaky voice said, “I’ll gather the necessary items and then you’ll take me to that institution.”

  “Well, looks like I’m heading to Glaston Academy.” I looked over to Vlaine, hoping that he had a number two on his paper as well. His face was blank, giving me no clue as to where he would be going.

  Aiden spoke up. “I’ve got a number two. How about you take me to the campus and I’ll check the place out and make sure it’s safe. If it’s completely abandoned, the rest of the twos can come as well.”

  Draxe put an envelope aside for Frankie then shuffled them once again and fanned them out so that we may take our pick. I grabbed an envelope, not caring too much to look inside since I did not have the star next to my number.

  “Alright,” Draxe nodded, “let’s get to it.

  Aiden stepped forward and touched his hand to my arm. He smiled and in a gentle voice said, “let’s go.”

  A moment later we were in a muddy patch of dead grass near the dormitory hall. Loud drips echoed as melting snow trickled from the corner of the roof onto the oversaturated grass. The sun hung mid-sky, not a cloud to be seen.

  “Be right back,” Aiden sighed, preparing to search the school.

  “Okay,” I answered, searching the surrounding area.

  “All clear,” Aiden grinned just as I finished my reply. “We can go get the others.”

  My eyebrows raised in surprise. “Well that was easy,” I smiled.

  “For you,” Aiden pointed to me with a mirthless smile.

  I held my hand out to him and he put his in mine. The moment our skin touched, I brought us back to Ernvlik Academy.

  Steph, Draxe, Miranda, Claire, Luka, Frankie, Al, and Vlaine stood in the room where we had just picked our numbers and taken our envelopes. Steph stepped forward and hugged me tightly, “I’ll keep an eye on things here.”

  My heart sank. I did not want to leave Steph at an entirely different academy with people that I hardly knew.

  Draxe bumped his elbow into me. “I’ll take care of her,” he winked.

  I tossed him a grateful smile and hugged him quickly. Steph, Draxe, Ovolina, Liz, Lena, Connor, and Frankie would all be staying at Ernvlik Academy. Of course, Frankie would be transported back after he and Luka set up the stables.

  Lacey was still at the far end of the floor, frozen. Once a room impervious to gifts was created, I would transport her there where she could thaw and answer some questions.

  I stepped out to the hallway and called out to everyone that would be staying. “Good luck everyone and I’ll see you soon.”

  Once I heard everyone say goodbye, I grabbed hold of Luka, Frankie, Aiden, and all the trinkets that they needed and brought them inside the stables. I popped back to Ernvlik and laced my fingers through Vlaine’s and transported us, along with Al, Miranda, and Claire, to Glaston Academy.

  Al, Miranda, and Claire looked around the area, intrigued. “I’ll give you a tour,” I smiled nervously.

  Vlaine picked up on my anxiety and squeezed my elbow gently. “If my dad comes back I’ll be able to hear him and Aiden will take care of things if he does return. I’ll help Luka and Frankie while you show them around.” He nodded his head towards the newcomers and gave me a reassuring, lopsided smile. “We’re safe here for now.”

  The “for now” part was what worried me. This was Osiris’s home. Would he really leave it abandoned?

  Walking around the empty academy was eerie, but being the tour guide gave me a sense of power and superiority. Glaston Academy was my territory too. The three followed me around while I showed them the offices, classrooms, and dorms. I decided to walk them over to the gymnasium that I had practiced my gifts with Vlaine in. Seeing the building made my chest tingle with nostalgia.

  When we got back to the stables, there was a massive amount of building materials on a tarp just a few yards from the structure. We had only been walking around for an hour, so I had to assume that Aiden was doing his fair share of heavy lifting.

  Al strolled towards the guys, his broad shoulders were held back and there was an easy confidence in his stride. He picked up some lumber and got to work.

  “I’m going to go to that gym and set up a course for myself,” Claire declared. Her gift was very physical and if she did not use it, she would become uncomfortable. She explained that it was like being thirsty. The more she denied it, the worse it got until it was almost painful. She liked to set up targets where she could throw knives into the center while running, making it as challenging for herself as possible.

  The idea of trying out one of her obstacles was intriguing. “I’m going to go with you,” I told Claire.

  “Awesome,” she smiled, “I love company.” She turned to Miranda, “you want to come with us?”

  She twisted her lips in contemplation and twirled a strand of blue hair around her finger. “I actually think I’m going to see if the guys need any help. The sooner that gets taken care of, the better.”

  We nodded to each other, then Claire and I jogged to the gymnasium. The melting snow made the dead grass slick and I slipped halfway there, falling onto my backside and gliding through the cold muck. Wet goopy dirt was caked on my entire body.

  “You okay?” Claire’s face was twisted with concern before she burst in
to laughter.

  “Yeah,” I laughed, “I’m good.” Shaking my head, I joked sardonically, “the replicator, impervious to all but the elements.”

  She eyed my muddy clothes and smirked. “I bet you could use your telekinetic trick and get that mud right off. Every single molecule.” She held her hand out to me, offering to give me help standing up.

  “Maybe,” I chuckled and took her hand, not wanting to be rude by ignoring the assistance, and placed my other hand on the thin layer of slushy melting snow covering the ground. “But it sounds a little too time consuming. I think a washing machine will do just fine.”

  Her eyes glittered with excitement and her expression was one of gratitude. “How long have you known there are people like us? People that can do special things.”

  It was such a simple question and the answer always changed any time I tried to force introspection on it. Going to the grocery store or to school, I could pick up on subtleties, feel when someone gifted was around. It was easier because of my telepathy, but they always seemed to stand out. It was as if they more defined than everyone else. When I turned away from my abilities, I started to ignore and mask the memories of seeing other people like me.

  I bent over and rubbed my palms into the wet grass to try and wipe the mud off. “I guess I could tell that there were some people just because of their vibrations or thoughts, but I had no idea the magnitude and different abilities until the beginning of the school year.”

  Claire was watching me like a child in front of their favorite show; full of awe. “I had no idea until I went to the academy. I was such a loner. You know, everyone just knows we’re different. They’re afraid of different.” Her smile turned sad and she shrugged, “well, maybe that’s just how they were with me. I really didn’t have any friends until I went to Intervael.” Claire adjusted her ponytail, shaking her head to center the long strands. “It’s really nice to be part of something.”

  I studied her. Her tall, muscular body and high cheekbones complimented by an intense gaze. Her intimidating demeanor broke any time she smiled and it was clear to see that her kind spirit did not match her daunting build whatsoever. I could see why she felt like an outsider. It was difficult enough trying to fit in as a teenager, never mind pretending to be normal with supernatural abilities.

  “I’m glad you’re here with us,” I smiled.

  Before Claire’s confession, I never grasped how important it was for us gifted people to have support. Growing up knowing there were others like us was something that could save a lot of emotional trauma. I was lucky to have had Steph and Nicholas most of my life. Being different was nearly impossible to hide and even though I hid my gifts from them and they knew I was different, they were by my side unconditionally.

  Claire set archery targets up around the gymnasium, flung a quiver full of arrows on her back, and tucked a few knives into her belt. Before running to complete the obstacle she set up for herself, she tossed me a wink and gleefully told me to watch her, like a child getting their parents attention for something they were proud of.

  She breezed across the court, jogging out some of her energy before tossing the knives directly into the center of the targets. Her aim was precise and impeccable; she never faltered. Once she was out of knives, she pulled the bow out. Summersaults, twirls, and other acrobatic stunts preceded the launch of the arrows.

  I watched intently, trying to get a feel of how she used her gift. Once she was done completing the obstacle, she walked over and took my hand. Knowing what Al had told me before, she gave me permission to learn her gift.

  I started off easy, tossing a knife at the target. When it hit the upper right corner, I knew that I was not replicating her gift at all. She told me to “see the lines.” I had no idea what she meant by that until I stared into the middle of the bullseye, putting all my intentions towards that spot. Then I could feel, rather than see, a direct line to the target.

  An anxious energy built inside my gut; a need to exert as much force as I could. It caused me to bounce in place until I gave in and ran through the course, tossing the knives into the direct spots where Claire had thrown hers. As soon as I dropped my concentration, the anxious feeling dissipated.

  I clutched my stomach and pulled my lip up. “That’s what it feels like for you all the time? Like you are about to crawl out of your skin if you don’t…”

  “Adhere to the pull,” she finished my sentence, crossing her arms delicately. “Yeah,” she nodded, then tilted her head. “If I can get an hour of a well-built obstacle into my day, then that is usually all I need.”

  “Strange,” I shook out my hands, as if I could shake off that feeling and keep it away. “I wonder why that is.”

  “Don’t know,” she shrugged, “but you get used to it.”

  She started flipping an arrow into the air by the nock. Memories of practicing with Vlaine came flooding back and I decided to try replicating both Vlaine and Claire’s gift.

  I inspected the black knife. It was light and well balanced, intended to be thrown. I flipped it into the air, caught the steel handle, then threw it at the target. With my hand still in the air pointed at the knife, I concentrated on throwing energy from the blade. As it hit the target, I sent the wave of energy from the point and the target exploded, the insides of it flying backwards towards the wall.

  Claire clapped her hands excitedly, jumping up. “Can you explode something I throw?”

  “Yeah,” I chuckled, “let’s give it a try.”

  My timing was off on the first attempt at the stunt. The second time was precise. We both jumped up excitedly the moment the target exploded upon impact.

  After ninety minutes of practicing together we were fatigued and hungry. We started back for the stables hoping that the rest of the group were on the same page in terms of taking a break for some food.

  Miranda and Al were sitting at the entrance of the building tinkering with a circuit board, Al was holding a soldering iron skillfully while Miranda kept an orb of light nearby and looked on while he worked.

  Luka was running wires through the building, using his gift to assists him with the networking. Vlaine and Aiden took care of cosmetic details; altering the doors, encasing light fixtures, and what not. Frankie was nowhere in sight, but I could feel his nervous energy emanating from somewhere nearby.

  Claire and I made our way towards Luka, the only one in the group that looked like his attention could be deterred from his task. Without us even saying anything Luka looked over his shoulder at us and simply asked, “Is it time for dinner?”

  Luka quickly requested venison, as if he was ordering off a menu. By that time the rest of the group, aside from Frankie, had gathered around to have their input on the meal. Claire and I decided to go to the kitchen and see if there was anything we could put together for everyone or if I needed to teleport somewhere.

  Glaston Academy was exceedingly eerie without any lights on, any people around, and silent. I was glad to have Claire with me because I would have been considerably more creeped out if I was alone. The building was so cold that we could see our breath inside the cafeteria. Claire made a joke about not having to worry about any food spoiling because of the freezing building, but I was still half expecting to walk into a pantry full of moldy, insect-infested perishables.

  We opened the refrigerator to see mostly beverage cartons. Many were unopened and the opened ones, we tossed into the trash. Wasting food made me sick to my stomach, but fortunately the only things to have spoiled was a bit of juice and milk. Any other food was either canned or in the freezer.

  Claire dug around the containers of broth, cans of vegetables, and cartons of pasta. She held up a box of pasta in one hand and broth in the other. “Looks like we can make pasta or soup.” She shrugged and began to dig through the freezer packed with meat. “Wow,” she laughed, “there actually is some venison in here.” She began piling broth, venison, and vegetables into a large soup pot. “Looks like we’re having stew.
”

  I nodded and grabbed some spices before joining her at the stove. Once everything was set, we left to let the stew simmer and went out to join the rest of the group.

  Frankie was walking around the stables, fumbling with his hands. He would stop to look at a section of the roof, then continue going around. Claire and I approached the building slowly, not wanting to interrupt Frankie and inadvertently cause a fit that we had no idea how to deal with.

  Once he noticed our presence he waved us over to him. “We’re short on insulators.” He nodded his head incessantly for half a minute, then continued with whatever he was doing.

  It was safe to assume that Frankie was giving me instructions. “Does it matter what type of insulators? Glass, fiberglass, rubber, pure water?”

  “Ridiculous,” he muttered, “pure water isn’t a logical choice at all.”

  “Okay,” I sighed, “I’ll go find you something.”

  “Very well,” he nodded.

  Claire and I gave each other a knowing glance and went back towards the school to find whatever materials would help. We brought all the glass we could and there were only a few more hours to complete the project so we all sat in the cafeteria and ate before returning to finish making the gift-containing cells.

  7

  We worked well into the night to finish the gifted prison. Frankie quickly explained how everything worked before instructing me to take him back to Ernvlik Academy. I decided that it was necessary to test out the rooms before his return and he hesitantly obliged.

  I stepped into one of the stalls and Vlaine closed the door slowly. The top half of the door that was previously open was now completed with the materials I gathered for him. The entire stall was encased completely in wood and glass. I tapped onto the pane and inspected the sturdiness of it and turned my head to the side to see a small space between two panes.

  Vlaine locked the door and gave me a thumbs-up, letting me know I could test out their work. I looked at the spot next to Vlaine and tried to teleport there. Nothing. Next, I attempted to form a sphere of fire in my palm. When I was in the demonstration room I could accomplish balls of fire. I stared at my palm, willing the sparks to form from the creases in my cupped hand. Nothing. I was unable to replicate any gifts whatsoever.